Almond Bark vs. Chocolate: Differences & Uses
Sweets and dishes covered with Almond Bark or chocolate are deemed some of the top picks to satiate your sweet tooth cravings. That’s because Almond Bark and chocolate are excellent choices for molding, coating, and dipping. However, have you ever thought about what the differences between the two are?
Chocolate is better due to its consistency and taste. Chocolate is decadent, and has a milky taste, while Almond Bark is just sweet. On the other hand, Almond Bark melts really easy and quick, while chocolate requires tempering, and you’ll need to be cautious to prevent it from bubbling up.
Whether you’re a professional chef or want to make a dish for your loved ones, learning what these two items are have proven to be a significant upgrade for your culinary skills, so read on and learn! Here, you’ll find the differences between Almond Bark and chocolate, their ingredients, and what you can coat with or dip in them.
Almond Bark vs. Chocolate: Differences
Almond Bark has a sweet flavor and looks incredible when used to cover foods. There are no intricate procedures needed before using Almond Bark; they have a quick set-up time and work excellently with food coloring. But taste-wise, it’s not like chocolate as it lacks the thick texture and the milky texture of a real chocolate bar.
Chocolate offers a melt-in-your-mouth experience and can harden smoothly to cover all sorts of desserts, including chocolate chip cookies, nuts, strawberries, and other fruits and foods.
Almond Bark vs. Chocolate: Ingredients
Almond Bark is made with vegetable fats, sugar, coloring, and flavors. Almond Bark ingredients include partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, sugar (sugar, cornstarch), soy lecithin (an emulsifier), whey powder, and artificial flavor. It may contain milk and soy products. In addition, some Almond Bark bars contain dried sugar and syrup, corn syrup, or rice syrup.
Conversely, good chocolate has at least four ingredients: cocoa butter, cocoa beans, sugar, milk powder (or solids), or alternative milk (if it’s a bar of milk chocolate). In addition, some chocolates have emulsifiers, artificial colorings, and flavors such as vanilla and chocolate. Therefore, white Almond Bark is vanilla flavored, and brown Almond Bark is chocolate flavored.
Ultimately, if you are not sure what are you buying, just look at the list of ingredients on the back of the bar. If there is coca butter, then it is the real chocolate. If there isn’t, there is a high chance that you are looking at Almond Bark.
Baker’s Chocolate vs. Almond Bark: Which Is Better?
Using Almond Bark is an excellent way of making unique and creative desserts. Since it’s non-perishable and inexpensive, it is the ideal candy coating or dipping medium to always have on hand. Besides, with Almond Bark, you don’t have to worry about tempering. Instead, you can melt them with great ease, and the result is as appealing as while using chocolate.
Conversely, using Baker’s Chocolate is tricky since it melts at relatively low temperatures, but you should stir continuously to achieve a smooth consistency when it starts to melt. Otherwise, the melted chocolate could scorch, bubble up, or explode.
However, chocolate holds a significant superiority over Almond Bark when it comes to richness and consistency.
Can You Substitute Baker’s Chocolate for Almond Bark?
You can substitute Baker’s Chocolate for Almond Bark, but they taste different as they are different products. Almond Bark doesn’t contain cocoa solids, cocoa butter, or milk solids. Baker’s Chocolate has a bitter flavor that’s different from the sweet taste of Almond Bark.
Is Almond Bark Bad for You?
Almond Bark is not bad for you, but it’s not good either.
It is even safe to eat out-of-hand. However, the artificial flavoring and ease-of-melting ingredients cause the barks to lack taste. In addition, it doesn’t have any nutritional value or health benefits.
Does Almond Bark Have Almonds in It?
Almond Bark doesn’t contain almonds. It received this name from its original use that was to cover almonds and nuts.
According to a company representative, Almond Bark was packaged with the label “Make Your Own Almond Bark.” The product was the key ingredient in Almond Bark, the candy-coated with almonds. Over time, the ingredient was called with the same name as the candy. This explains why Almond Bark has “almond” in its name.
Is Almond Bark a Chocolate?
Many people confuse Almond Bark with chocolate. Interestingly, Almond Bark might seem like chocolate but are only a chocolate-like confection. Sometimes they’re even called candy that contains milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate.
Where to Buy Almond Bark?
You can buy Almond Bark in the baking and confectionery aisle at the local grocery store. You can also find a better selection at specialty baking stores. It’s usually near the chocolate chips on a bottom rack and is available in large blocks or discs in chocolate or vanilla flavors.
Where to Buy Baker’s Chocolate?
Many grocery stores have Baker’s Chocolate, and you can also find some in specialty baking stores.
